Love is blind
by Procrastinator-starting2moro
Summary: James Potter loses his glasses and seeks help from Head Girl, Lily Evans, to be his guide dog. No doubt, unintentional boob grabbing always occurs with temporary blindness. One shot.


**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine, boo hoo.

**Love is blind**

James Potter _never _lost his glasses. He had the knack of losing other things, such as homework, quills, or even his sanity. But in his mind, losing his glasses was simply an event that would never happen. Every night before he went to sleep he'd place his glasses on his bedside table, completely assured that when he woke the next morning they would still be there. And he was always right.

Until one day, he was wrong.

Cursing profoundly, he sat up bed and felt the bedside table. They _had _to be there...

A variety of crashes and clangs were heard. Grumbling, James figured they were the sounds of his belongings being knocked off the table. In any other situation last year he would have called the aid of a Marauder to fetch him his glasses in the most civil and courteous way:

"One of you tits hand me my glasses, will ya?"

Of course, this couldn't happen as he was a Seventh year, Head Boy, and sleeping in a single dormitory of his own in the Head Tower. Just when he thought a single dormitory was the bee's knees, (which he'd bragged about to his companions on a regular basis, even if it was irrelevant to the conversation), he now wished he was sleeping in a dorm with his fellow Marauders, complaining about the permanent smell of mould, the snoring and most importantly ordering a friend to fetch his glasses or he'd let a _huge _one off.

James sat in his bed, ruffling his hair at a loss on what to do next. He was practically blind.

Well, not sightless, per se. He could still distinguish colours and a few objects. James was pretty sure that grey-ish entity over there was a wall...

Or was it a lamp?

Come to think of it, was he even in his bed?

James inwardly groaned - obviously when he'd lost his glasses he'd also lost his mind in the process.

A sudden idea came to him: his wand. If he found his wand, a simple summoning spell would return his trusty glasses to him... if could find his wand. James needed to _find _an object to find _another _object, and he somehow figured this could turn into a very overbearing cycle of bewilderment.

James felt the bedside table again, remembering placing his wand there just last night. Now, however, it was bare, probably due to his hand knocking his belongings to the floor. Maybe the wand was on the floor? He swung his feet off the side of the bed and bent down, his face changing into an array of different expressions as he felt soft things, sharp things, and _wet _things he squirmed away from.

It was no use, he needed his bloody glasses.

His wand was usually in the back pocket of his trousers, and not thinking, he checked the particular spot. Remembering he was only wearing boxers and didn't keep his wand in his pocket at night, he slapped his forehead in stupidity.

He needed a new plan.

Standing up, noticeably unstable as his sight was unclear, he crossed the room, desperately hoping he was going in the direction of a door. That brownish blur in front of him looked vaguely similar to some sort of entrance...

No, it was a wall.

"Bugger, bugger," James chanted as he felt the walls. "Bugger, bugger—_ow_." His hand connected with what he thought was a bookshelf. "Bugger, bugger..." His foot got tangled in a dirty jumper on the floor and he kicked it away.

Just when he was beginning to lose all hope and go with the idea of sitting on the floor, sobbing until someone came to his rescue, he felt a flat surface and what he guessed was a doorknob. He let off a sound of glee, turning the knob and opening it. His eyes readjusted to new colours of blurriness as he stepped into the hallway.

Judging from his memory, Lily Evans - the unfortunate Head Girl - was in the dorm directly across his. He was going to have to ask for help. From a girl. Who he loved. Who didn't seem to reciprocate the love. Wearing minimal clothing.

Maybe he should go put some clothes on first?

... No, since it would probably take at least three hours to find a pair of trousers. Just boxers it was, then.

Stumbling forward, with his arms out like a flapping bird, he crossed the hallway to Lily's door. Feeling flat surfaces again, James felt for the doorknob, and with no hesitance, pushed the door open.

The second he entered the room, he was met with a confused, "What in Merlin's name," which quickly evolved into a high pitched shrill and ear-deafening, "_Aaaaaaaah!_"

James faltered confusedly, covering his ears. He made out a blob of familiar red hair which the screaming was coming from.

"Get out, get out, GET OUT!" he could distinctly hear Lily shriek.

"No, wait, Lily, I need your help—"

"I'm not wearing a bra, you disgusting little pervert!"

Lily turned round; her bare back visible towards him, she was floored by the sight of James. She scrambled for a shirt to cover herself, trying to some great extent cover her exposed skin, while still screaming, "GET OUT!"

"No, wait, Lily, listen, I'm not wearing glasses!" James put up his hands in defence, looking away from the red blob that was Lily in hope that would satisfy her in thinking he was not peeping—which, he couldn't do anyway, much to his disappointment. Seeing Lily's breasts could be something new to brag about rather than his bedquarters.

"_Get out!_" Lily finally found a shirt and slid it on as fast as possible, glaring at him when she discovered he was still present in her dorm, oddly goggling in the complete opposite direction to where she was standing. "What are you still doing in here? And why aren't you wearing clothes?"

"I'd love to escape from your wrath right now, but I'm partially blind and have no idea where the exit is."

"Partially blind?"

"I lost my glasses." James pointed to the bridge of his nose which was bare.

"Well, that's lovely, James—watch out, you're going to collide with a wall," Lily pointed out tonelessly and too late. James swore as he banged his head, rubbing the sore spot. "Turn ninety degrees clockwise," Lily ordered, and James did on command, "And again. Now, if you take six steps to your left you will find the door. Please shut it on your way out so I can take this shirt off and put on a bra to make my nipples less visible."

"Even if I had my glasses on right now, you know I wouldn't be peeping at your visible nipples, right?" James told the lamp.

"James, I'm standing to your right, and you _really _do say the wrong things to women."

"Am I not allowed to say nipples?" James' mouth opened in confusion as he felt something touch his shoulder, steering him somewhere. "What the—"

"Don't panic, that's my hand. I'm leading you to the door so you can make an even more pathetic exit."

"Wait, Lily!" James reached out a hand, hoping to grab for an arm and guessed it must have been either the left or right one, feeling it was quite spongy.

"That's my breast, James."

He recoiled... after a while.

"Sorry," he cringed.

"I won't murder you since you have a reasonable excuse of being moderately blind. I may have to chop off that hand, though."

"If it's any consolation, whatever boob I felt, left or right, it felt firm and rather lovely."

Lily clenched her fists. "I think I'm going to lead you off the Astronomy tower," she gritted through her teeth.

"That wasn't supposed to come out that way," James shielded his face, expecting a slap, "I'm practically disabled! Please don't hurt me!"

Lily softened at how pitiful he looked, finally sympathetic to his predicament. "Do you know where you lost your glasses?"

"No, obviously, hence the word 'lost'—" James felt a smack out of nowhere and rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry for that remark; I wasn't thinking."

"You weren't," Lily agreed.

James felt her steering him forwards again and frowned. "So you're not going to help me, then?" he assumed sadly.

"Trust me; help is something I feel least like doing right now. I'm more inclined to act out revenge by tying you to a chair and leaving you naked in the Great Hall." James' eyes widened in fear. "But, being Head Girl, I'm a good person, so I'll help you. Wait outside while I put on a bra because it's awfully chilly and they're getting rather... perky."

"You have no idea how much I wish I had my glasses on right now."

"Trust me, I do. You _have got_ to put on a pair of trousers this second."

James crossed his legs, and Lily slammed the door shut.

Two minutes later, a whistling James outside in the hallway jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder out of nowhere.

"That's my hand again, James," Lily rolled her eyes, fully dressed, something James was not.

He looked embarrassed at being so jumpy, which was understandable when not seeing everything that usually was visible. "Your nails are awfully long. I thought they were claws of the devil."

Lily rolled her eyes once more. "Really doesn't know the right things to say to women," she said low under her breath. "Do you know how to get to your dorm?" she asked James.

"Yep," he answered confidently, walking straight into a wall. "Sodding hell..."

"I can't believe I'm even going to suggest this," Lily muttered, taking in a deep breath. "James? Grab on to my shoulder and I'll guide you, alright?"

"Alright." He reached out with his hand, guessing where her shoulder was.

"... That's my breast again, James."

He detracted his hand and cringed. "God, I'm sorry."

"Honestly, my shoulder wouldn't be in my upper chest, you stupid, ignorant little-" She stopped herself before she went on an angry rant, something James was familiar with. She grabbed his hand, much to his delight, and placed it on her shoulder. "There. Now move when I move."

"Love to! I mean, yes."

Lily eyed him suspiciously as they entered James' dorm. "I swear, if you've lost your glasses deliberately to grope my breasts, I will MAIM you."

"Trust me, I'd like my glasses present when groping your breasts."

Another smack to the forehead was received.

"What did I warn you, James?"

"No smart-arse remarks."

Lily searched every nook and cranny, but the glasses still did not turn up. "Damn it, I can't see them." She lifted up a few pieces of clothing, hoping they would be under it.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sodding sure!" Lily replied in a temper. The temper had evolved ever since she got butterfly-like flutters in her stomach at the way James' warm hand rested on the skin of her shoulder, giving her the good kind of goosebumps.

"Can you at least see my wand?"

Lily searched the floor, prodding a few things over with a foot. "Negative on the wand, too." She got out her own wand and swished it while saying the spell, "_Accio _James Potter's wand."

Nothing happened.

"James, the glasses aren't here."

"I was afraid of you saying that," groaned James, messing up his hair. "I bet it was the Glasses Thief."

"The Glasses _what_?"

"It was a story my mum would tell me when I was little, to scare me."

"What, that if you didn't keep your glasses safely tucked away a monster with tentacles would steal them?"

"Who said the monster had tentacles?"

"I'm afraid of octopuses."

"Remind me not to take you to a seafood restaurant with octopus as the special."

"You're implying as though I would willingly go to dinner with you."

"_Maybe _I am."

"_Maybe _you _shouldn't_."

Lily stared hard at James, and James stared hard at his wardrobe.

"I'm not looking in the right direction, am I?" he guessed, heating in the face.

"That wardrobe is melting under your gaze," Lily droned. "Well, if we're all done here, I'm off to Transfiguration. We've already missed breakfast." James stumbled forward as he no longer had a grip on Lily's shoulder as she made her way to leave. "Ta ta."

"Wait! You can't leave me!" James told the bedpost, wailing his arms. "Can you, er," he shifted from left leg to right, all of a sudden rather shy, "at least put some clothes on me? Please?"

Lily's jaw dropped. "You want me to _dress you_? I'm not your mother!"

"Sometimes partners dress one another."

He received no response.

"Or was it _undress _one another..."

He still got no response.

James got worried.

"Lily? Lily, are you still there? Lily? Oh my God, she's gone. LILY? LILY! LILY, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! I'M PRACTICALLY DISABLED, LILY-!"

"Good God, James, don't panic! I'm right here!"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. Sorry, it's just hard to tell when I'm kind of blind."

"I was having a silent, momentary pause for thought, you stupid arse!" Lily massaged the bridge of her nose, coming to a decision. "Alright, James, I'll hand you clothes and you can put them on yourself."

"Right," he nodded, feeling an article pushed into his hands. "So... these are trousers, right?" He began to put the clothing on his feet.

"No, that's a shirt." She watched as the shirt got tangled in his feet. "Oh for goodness sake, I'll do it," she gave in. "Arms out," she ordered.

Obligingly, he stretched out his arms and Lily slotted them through the holes. She tried desperately not to stare at his chest, which looked lean and muscular from Quidditch. Swallowing, she started to button up his shirt, flushing every time her fingers brushed against his smooth skin. Once the final button was done up, she flattened down his collar and couldn't resist brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders. She promised herself that the warm feeling inside her was really the same emotion a mother gets dressing a son on his first day at school.

"How do I look? Bang-able?"

Except sons didn't ask those questions. And mothers didn't want to answer with a dreamy, "Yes..."

"Button it, Casanova," Lily retorted, searching for James' trousers.

"Cassie who?"

"Muggle joke."

"... I don't get it."

"Never mind."

* * *

Lily led James to Transfiguration looking strangely like a guide dog as James held on to the shoulder, trailing behind her. Of course, guide dogs didn't have bright red hair and cute little freckles, and James really wished he had his glasses to witness a perfect view of his guide dog's wonderful bottom.

"I can hear people laughing, Lily."

This statement was true, as Lily glanced at particular people pointing at them as they travelled down the corridor to a chorus of giggling.

Lily replied with the most sincere and eloquent answer:

"It's all in your head, mate."

"James!" a voice shouted from ahead.

"Oh thank Merlin," Lily praised, spotting the rest of the Marauders approaching them from outside the Transfiguration classroom. She could now dump Potter with those three stooges.

"Why do you guys always do that?" Lily asked the boys, once they finally caught up with them.

"Do what?" Peter asked.

"Walk in a line-up everywhere."

"We're _the _Marauders!" Sirius flashed a cheesy grin.

"You remind me of strippers," Lily commented. "Don't do it again or I'll take house points off you. Now—" she tugged James' hand off her shoulder and shoved him towards Remus "—you look after your waif. The baboon has lost his glasses."

Sirius took a moment to look James up and down. Something was clearly bizarre about his appearance. "I don't want to sound rude or anything, Prongs, but... er ... why are you wearing dungarees?"

James blinked. "I'm wearing _what_?"

"Dungarees," Peter said.

"That's impossible!" James laughed. "Lily dressed me this morning and—" he stopped, feeling the clothing he was wearing that didn't feel like his usual school robes. "Lily!" He exploded. He tried to point an accusing finger, but it seemed top difficult without precise vision. "Lily? Bloody hell, where are you?"

She hid behind his back, shaking her head furiously as Remus eyed her.

"Sorry, James, she just left," the werewolf fibbed, trying to hide back a laugh.

James whipped round and Lily desperately tried to hide again. "Hey! I saw red hair then!" He felt the air. "Lily! _Lily_, Is that you?"

"That was Wormtail," Sirius joined in on the act.

"Yes, I recently dyed my hair," Peter quipped.

"Watch out, Pete," Sirius warned, watching Lily creep into the Transfiguration classroom for a sneaky getaway. "He has a thing for redheads. And he's much more likely to snog you without his glasses."

James pulled a face. "Oh har-sodding-har, pick on the nearly disabled person, why don't you. Annoying berks... seriously though, am I _really _wearing dungarees?"

"You look like you're wearing dungarees for a pregnant woman," Sirius said, slapping James' back. "You're one step away from looking like a mother in maternity."

"For the love of Merlin, find me some trousers, or I will be threatened to strip," James warned his friends.

At once, the three boys rushed off to fetch some trousers. After all, nobody (or was it everybody?) liked a half-naked Prongs frolicking about the castle.

* * *

Lily, on the sly, had been helping James all day. Sly like a fox, James had described her, but that was mainly asserted because of her red hair and progressed to the term of "Foxy lady Lily" which she definitely did not agree with.

Although Lily had told Sirius, Remus, and Peter to look after their partially blind Marauder in every class they had that day - the boys hadn't. Whether it was general uncaring or plain laziness, she didn't know. So when James had looked in aid of help, Lily had assisted him... on the sly, of course.

When the class was told to turn to page five hundred and sixty four, and James, in much ineptness, had been turning pages back and forth for at least five consecutive minutes, passing the page many times, Lily had swished her wand and turned it to the correct page. When James had knocked his quill to the floor, he suddenly found it spring back onto the table by an invisible force named: Lily Evans. When James had nearly destroyed his potion by adding a completely wrong ingredient, Lily had swapped it for the right one.

Naturally, she had been furious - not to mention downright confused by her desire to help him. She was even more annoyed when she had seen James' friends weren't exactly jumping to assist him. It was almost as if they weren't supporting him deliberately, forcing Lily to help him because it was the right thing to do.

Lily watched James scramble on the floor of the corridor, struggling to pick up his school books that were spread across the ground in disarray after an impressive clumsy fall. He'd achieved quite a crowd of spectators, chuckling and laughing at his expense, taking advantage of witnessing the Head Boy in such an embarrassing, undignified situation.

"Books!" James called, groping the floor for his belongings. "Come to Prongs now…"

To some extent it felt like slight torture for Lily to watch James make even more of a fool of himself than usual, feeling almost guilty. She pushed herself past the crowd and shot wrathful looks at Sirius, Remus, and Peter who stood beside him, noting his progress of searching for his school books with blank stares.

"Why aren't you helping him?" Lily demanded, narrowing her eyes at the boys. Remus stepped forward to assist James - but Sirius stopped him, shook his head, and shot him a look. Lily glared at them, "You're such idiots!"

Dropping to her knees, she placed her hand on James' shoulder and he jumped in surprise.

"It's just me," Lily said gently, gathering his books.

"Oh thank God," James said with relief. "I thought I bumped into someone's crotch again."

"_Again_?"

"I'd rather not relive the tale."

Lily handed him his books. "Here."

"Wow, a _mudblood _helping a pureblood," a voice remarked from the crowd. "Never thought I'd live to see the day."

Immediately James blew up at that comment. "Who the _hell _just said that?" He pushed up the sleeves of his robes, glaring threateningly at the wall which he thought was the occupant of the voice. "Was that you, Snape? You slimy little git! Don't you _ever _call Lily that again! I'll _kick _your _arse_!" He attacked the wall, fists flying as he made an animal cry.

"James! James, forget it!" Lily pulled on his arm, trying to hold him back. "James, you're attacking a wall!"

He finally stopped when his hand connected with a portrait and he put his fingers in his mouth, mumbling a painful, "Ow..."

"Come on, let's get out of here," Lily advised, dreadfully aware they were in the public eye. She pulled him by the hand through the crowded corridor.

"Where's Snape?" James asked, not wanting to leave but letting Lily pull him along anyway. "I must smother him with a pillow," he declared with an insane look in his eye.

"He's gone, James."

"Off the face of the earth? Because that would save me a lot of Azkaban trouble."

The remaining Marauders watched as Lily and James disappeared down the corridor, making their way towards Hogwarts grounds.

"So, when are you going to tell James you have his glasses, Padfoot?"

Smirking, Sirius took James' glasses out of his trouser pocket and placed them on the bridge of his nose. "Once he's snogged Evans' face off, Moony."

* * *

"I know where we are."

Lily stared confusedly at James. She'd pulled him out of the castle and into the grounds, away from the nosey onlookers, but she hadn't told him where the destination was as she lead him.

"You can't know where we are," she disagreed.

James grinned, feeling the air around him. "If my calculations are correct, I can hear the ripples of water, which means we are by the Great Lake. A few birds are faintly chirping to our right. And we're in the shade, so I'm guessing we're standing under the Beech tree."

He was absolutely correct.

"I never knew you were so good at hearing, James." Lily smiled, sitting down on the grass and making James do the same as she pushed him – affectionately, no doubt - to the his knees.

"I'm not," he admitted. "It's just... when you lose some of your sight, you rely on other senses. Today I've listened more - heard things I don't normally notice."

"Like what?" Lily asked curiously.

"You tap your foot quietly when you're bored in class or nervous," James beamed at her, and she stopped tapping her foot at the moment because yes, she was nervous. He made her nervous. "You also have the most adorable sneeze and cough."

Lily blushed, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Thanks for helping me out today, Lily," he told her gratefully in the end. "Remus told me you've been helping me in classes all day. Just… thanks."

"Don't mention it," Lily replied, trying her hardest to control the reddish colour of her cheeks. "You liked your dungarees, then?" she asked once regaining her composure, a smile creeping on her lips.

"I'm afraid Dumbledore said they didn't quite comply with the school uniform."

"Shame," Lily admitted. "You know... I kind of wish you'd lose your glasses everyday."

"That's mean," James said, but chuckled nonetheless. "How come?"

"Because I've realized I quite fancy you without them."

James tried to control himself from punching the air. "I shall permanently _destroy _those glasses," he growled, grinning.

Lily laughed, looking coy. "But how would you survive being partially behind?"

"I'd live. You could dress me, preferably _not_ in dungarees."

"But they suit you so well and look so good on you," Lily nudged him playfully with her elbow.

"You'd look good on me."

Lily frowned. "Come again?"

"Oh, Christ, not as in being on top of me! Not like sex! I mean, you'd look good on my... arm? You know? You get what I mean, right?" He tried again, "We look good together; that's what I mean! I want us to be together.. Oh bollocks. None of that sounded good in my head and I'm guessing it didn't sound as great out loud either. Bollocks. Bollocks, bollocks, boll—"

Lily shushed him, placing a finger over his lips. James carried on speaking while her finger still pressed on top of his mouth.

"I really like you, if you hadn't already noticed, and I really hope I haven't scared you off by speaking." He received no quick reply. "Lily? Lily, are you there?" He panicked when her finger was no longer on his mouth. "Oh God, no! She left me! How am I going to get back to the castle? I'm going to fall in the lake! I'm going to fall and drown in the lake and the Merpeople are going to eat me! LILY, COME BACK! LILY, YOU CAN'T DO THIS, I'M PRACTICALLY DISABLED, LI—mmmmm_. Mmmmm_."

He instantly shut up when a pair of lips pressed against his. He may have lost his favourite pair of glasses, but none of that mattered because Lily Evans was kissing him - at least, he hoped it was Lily. He sincerely hoped it wasn't one of the Merpeople trying to suck off his lips; one, because they were _Merpeople_, and two, because it felt so, _so _good.

James choked out when they surfaced for air, "Just to clarify - this is Lily kissing me, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, James."

Grinning giddily, he grabbed Lily's hand...

"That's my breast again, James."

"Merlin, your boobs are like hand magnets... Out of curiosity, since we've kissed and all - do I get to keep my hand there?"

"No."


End file.
